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Asura Island
Basic Geography The climate of Asura Island is torrential rain forest, similar to that of the southern Maurya Realms. Broad sandy beaches surround the island, peaceful most of the year, but battered by storms in the monsoon season. There is a great mountain at the center of the island. Steep and difficult to surmount at the top, the mountain is broader and more gently sloping nearer the base, creating a wide area of highlands in the island interior. The population resides in three geographic zones, coastal, jungle and the highlands. Thousands live in prosperous villages and the few port cities along the coast, fishing and trading. Far fewer live in the dense jungles, subsisting on hunting and logging. Roads have been cleared through the jungle that connect the coast to the highlands. The highlands are more suitable for agriculture than the jungle lowlands and are correspondingly more densely populated. The volcanic soil is fertile and naturally irrigated by rainfall and mountain runoff. The highlands also contain the Asuran capital, the palace city of Ravenna. Politics and History The island of Ceylanka was once a peripheral province of the Asuran Empire, when it ruled all of the Maurya Realms. After the asura lost the War of Liberation and all were exiled, they retreated to Ceylanka under the leadership of the last Asuran Emperor, Ravenna. Like most parts of the old Empire, Ceylanka's population was majority enslaved humans ruled by an asuran elite. When the asura refugees from the continent arrived, the population was increased several fold. Emperor Ravenna ordered the construction of the capital bearing his name, renamed Ceylanka to Asura Island and made his new title Tyrant King rather than emperor. King Ravenna realized that the old traditions could not continue in their new circumstances if they wished to avoid another rebellion or a new war with the Mauryan humans of the continent. Slavery and segregation were ended by decree and all humans were placed in indentured servitude to asura families for a generation. Not only was fraternization permitted, but encouraged, with Ravenna himself taking human concubines. Ravenna's dynasty continues to rule Asura Island as absolute monarchs. The asura tyrants are very actively involved in their government, regularly traveling about the island. Monarchs take on a variety of advisors, and there is a sort of nobility, but no position is guaranteed and all serve at the pleasure of the Tyrant King. The kings select their heirs carefully from among their many sons, for an incompetent king could spell civil dysfunction or military disaster. Society King Ravenna's edicts encouraged many human-asura intermarriages. All modern subjects share both human and asura heritage, the result of centuries of interbreeding. Still some are definitely more human or more asura. Near-humans face some discrimination, while purebred asura consider themselves superior, but most asurans consider 'purebreeds' to just be snobs. To humans from the continent, all hybrids are simply asura and they do not realize that the people of Asura Island have partial human ancestry. While the highlands are densely populated, the cities bustling, good order is kept on Asura Island. All taxes are paid directly to the royal treasury, to use as the king sees fit. Appointed magistrates hear cases, but serious matters may be appealed to the king. All subjects also have the right to petition the king with grievances, although not all appeals are granted. Some wealthy, prominent families trace their lineages back to nobles of the old empire, but they are nobility only in name, accorded no special legal privileges. Military Considerable resources are spent on the defense of the island. At the core of the Asuran army is a royal guard, the strongest and most loyal warriors hand selected by the king. They are arrayed in the best armor, typically a combination of laminar and mail. Royal guards also favor heavy, two handed weapons. Professional soldiers also patrol the island, more lightly armored and armed. Altogether, the royal guards and professional soldiers form a small force. Most of the fit population are part of the militia, to be called up in times of emergency and led by the regular warriors. More important to the Asura Island's security is its navy. Naval tactics and technology is similar to that of the Maurya Realms, but the centralized political system and concentrated resources of the Tyrant King allow for a larger naval force and more impressive ships. Like the Maurya navies, Asura Island operates many mid-size trireme style ships. They are reinforced by massive, multi-decked galleys powered by both oar and sail. These Asuran capital ships are armed with ballista and trebuchet (capable of launching solid and incendiary projectiles) as well as a large compliment of warriors. The Asuran's strong navy has prevented the Maurya Realms from conquering the island and also discourages most pirate activity. Religion Due to their history, Asurans despise the deva as dangerous meddling spirits and their worship is prohibited. Asurans do revere Tyrant King Ravenna in much the same way as the Shang do their Sage Emperor. While they do not deify Ravenna, they study his wisdom and example, hoping to emulate him. In the period before the War of Liberation (or, as they know it, the Deva Catastrophe) the asura had a more complex religion. They worshipped totemic ancestors believed to be the progenitors of their race. The old religion taught that powerful, monstrous beings descended to Maurya and spawned the asura, teaching them how to subjugate the primitive humans and to rule the land. Asura believed that the totemic gods demanded that they maintain the superiority of their bloodlines in order to fulfill their destiny as masters of the realm. The old totemic religion lost its meaning during King Ravenna's reforms as all the taboos were broken and the asura created a new hybrid society and a novel political system. The priests of the old religion protested at the time, but asura society was gripped with such existential fear that they were willing to abandon the old ways. The totemic gods never intervened to protest.